Nuclear cars exist

[decra]

They realy existed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sc7ZMq-yVw

[bben46]

Nuke cars were never built, and there were never even any prototype nuke engines for cars built. These were proposed designs which were never produced and never had any atomic reactors in them.

 

I lived through the 50s and we always expected a real atomic powered car to be produced 'sometime in the near future.' Well, I have been waiting over 50 years now and still no nuke car - and no flying car either - we were promised those too. :confused:

 

BTW, The 'nuke powered' cars in Fallout are based on some designs by the major manufacturers in the 50s. With the round heat exchanger for the nuke power plant mounted on the extended rear deck. :thumbsup:

[CommanderCrazy]

Ford Nucleon was the proposed name I believe.

[Maharg67]

In the same period that atomic powered cars were envisioned, the whole idea of nuclear energy being some kind of miracle wonder technology was being pushed in many directions that many would find disturbing today.

 

Atomic cars and other wheeled vehicles. Such as the Ford Nucleon.

 

Atomic war-machines.

 

Atomic flying-machines. Such as the Beta-1 Atomic Powered Bomber of 1959. The Soviets considered a huge atomic powered airship design.

 

Atomic spaceship (various concepts named the Orion).

 

Nuclear weapons used to build harbours and so on.

 

All of it was basically fantasies of people who did not understand (or want to) the limitations and dangers of fission nuclear power.

[ub3rman123]

I think the nuclear submarine is the only common nuclear-powered vehicle out today.

[Vagrant0]

I think the nuclear submarine is the only common nuclear-powered vehicle out today.

Because it's about the only thing that didn't have the potential for severe destruction and catastrophe when things go wrong. If a nuclear sub gets destroyed, it just sinks and irradiates a very small part o the ocean floor. If a nuclear car gets into an accident, the whole city could be gone in a matter of minutes from the resulting chain reaction.

 

But really though, the issue here is that steam engines (even ones which use an atomic heat source) tend to be a bit on the heavy side and impractical for anything which isn't extremely massive itself. Submarines made the most sense since the pre-existing powersources (diesel engine) required the vessel to surface frequently.

[CommanderCrazy]

Not necessarily. Many WWII submarines had use of a snorkel to bring air in.

[ub3rman123]

The reason most of these sorts of products, such as the nuclear car or the flying car, weren't released, is because the public can't be trusted not to do something stupid with them. For example: The ConvAirCar, a flying car. It worked perfectly, but a test model crashed and from there on nobody would have anything to do with it. Things have to be idiot-proofed to a certain degree before the public gets them. Can you imagine what a cuckolded girlfriend would do to her boyfriend's nuclear car? Take out half the block, most likely.

[AliasTheory]

You wish nuclear cars were real. The big reason why they aren't is one of the major reasons nuclear power is frowned upon. In short, ka-boom.

[Deleted1848331User]

You wish nuclear cars were real. The big reason why they aren't is one of the major reasons nuclear power is frowned upon. In short, ka-boom.

 

Its also illegal to own nukes, mini-nukes, or anything nuclear! The government still has some though *grumble grumble*